DBHub

At a glance

DBHub is Bytebase's deliberately small database server. By default it shows the model just two tools, one to run SQL and one to search the schema, so it costs far less context than servers with dozens of tools. A single process can hold connections to several databases at once through a TOML file, and you can add your own named, parameterised queries as extra tools.

For safety its config file can make a tool read-only, cap the rows returned and time out slow queries, and it can reach databases through an SSH tunnel. It also has a small web workbench for trying queries by hand.

Made by

Bytebase

Licence

MIT

Latest version

1.5.0 (9 Oct 2026)

npm package

@bytebase/dbhub

GitHub stars

3.7K

Downloads

17.1K a week

Last commit

26 Oct 2026

Tools

2

Runs on

Your computer

Our check: It needs something our Linux test machine does not have (an account, a desktop app, a Mac or a running service), so on 27 Oct 2026 we listed its tools from its package instead of running this config.

What's in the pod: its tools

We found 2 tools when we ran its package, before any sign-in or app was connected, on 27 Oct 2026. 1 only read. The rest can change things, so keep your app's "ask before each tool call" setting on for them.

How we tested it: Started @bytebase/dbhub 1.5.0 with --demo, its bundled sample SQLite database, because the placeholder DSN has no database behind it. These are the two default tools; explain_sql, health_check and your own custom tools appear only when you switch them on in dbhub.toml.

Grouped and described by us. The README on GitHub lists the inputs each tool takes.

Set it up

Pick your app for the exact snippet and where it goes.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dbhub": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@bytebase/dbhub@latest",
        "--transport",
        "stdio",
        "--dsn",
        "postgres://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname"
      ]
    }
  }
}

claude mcp add-json dbhub '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@bytebase/dbhub@latest","--transport","stdio","--dsn","postgres://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname"]}'

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dbhub": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@bytebase/dbhub@latest",
        "--transport",
        "stdio",
        "--dsn",
        "postgres://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "servers": {
    "dbhub": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@bytebase/dbhub@latest",
        "--transport",
        "stdio",
        "--dsn",
        "postgres://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dbhub": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@bytebase/dbhub@latest",
        "--transport",
        "stdio",
        "--dsn",
        "postgres://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Use "--demo" in place of --dsn to try it on a bundled sample database. Read-only mode, row limits and several databases are set in a dbhub.toml file passed with --config instead of --dsn.

New to this? See the setup guides for Claude Code, Cursor, Claude Desktop and ChatGPT.

Settings

Names are exactly as the project spells them. Required ones are marked.

What it can touch

Safer setup: Connect as a database user with read rights only, and set readonly and max_rows in dbhub.toml. The database's own permissions are the real boundary.

Before you start

• Node.js 22.5 or newer
• A connection string (DSN) for your database

If it does not work

It exits as soon as the client starts it

It could not reach the database in the DSN. Check the host, port and password, and add ?sslmode=disable for a local Postgres without TLS.

A special character in the password breaks the DSN

URL-encode it, for example @ as %40.

It will not start on an older Node

DBHub needs Node.js 22.5 or newer for its built-in SQLite support.

explain_sql or health_check is missing

They are off by default. Switch them on in dbhub.toml.

Peas in a pod: similar servers

How DBHub lines up against other databases and data servers on the shelf.

Questions

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.